


Forest for the Trees

by kurushi



Category: Dark City (1998)
Genre: M/M, Post-Canon, Present Tense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-19
Updated: 2012-12-19
Packaged: 2017-11-21 14:09:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/598621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kurushi/pseuds/kurushi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Years after the city has moved on, one small accident changes John's perspective.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forest for the Trees

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Zoi no miko (zoi_no_miko)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zoi_no_miko/gifts).



There's something under the toe of his boot that shouldn't be there. He trips, falls, flat on his face in the middle of the street. Everyone's looking at him, wide-eyed. It's not a busy street, but there's a good half-dozen people there. On a billboard in the distance, Dr. Schreber's Tuning Academy Exam dates for the quarter are listed. If you qualify, you get to become a public servant working towards the maintenance of the city and the direction of their destiny. If you don't, well, there's always the university or private business. In shop windows there's garlands of flowers. It's one week away from the ten-year anniversary of their freedom and awakening from stupor, and spirits are high.

 

John Murdoch pushes himself up, feels the sting of his grazed palms when he brushes his knees off. His shoes are scuffed, and when he looks – he should _know_ where everything in the city is – he sees that the pavement is raised, rising, in this mound. At the centre, the corners and edges of the bricks stick up and jut out. It's not a very familiar sight. It looks like someone's tuned, out of control, and it reminds him of that final battle for one second. Then, he looks further. Finds the culprit. It's a tree root. He looks up, sees the green leaves filtering the bright starlight that creates their day, and laughs and laughs and laughs.

 

Once other people start to figure it out, they shake their heads, smile. They move on. Some people say it. 'A tree root! Can you imagine it! Well, it _has_ been years now. They're getting bigger.'

 

John doesn't polish the scuff off of the toe of his shoes, he just sits at home and looks at them. Can you imagine it! Trees!

 

He calls Daniel. Anna will be at work, so he calls Daniel. 'I tripped over a tree root!'

 

'Er, I see, John.' Daniel's always like that. A bit awkward. He warms to conversations once they get going. 'That sounds like it was exciting for you.'

 

'Daniel, the trees. They've grown.' John bounces his legs, rubs one hand up and down his thigh. He can't really express it properly. 'They've _grown_.'

 

'Yes, I see,' Daniel says, and he obviously doesn't. 'Trees do grow, John. It's in their nature.'

 

'No, Daniel. I can't describe it. There was a tree root, breaking through the pavement. The city was rising and falling around all this _life_. Daniel! Don't you remember when it was all just rocks, dirt, sand, and fish?'

 

'Yes, yes John.' From the sound of it, Daniel's taken his glasses off and started rubbing his eyebrows. 'I understand the implications. You're excited about the festival next week. You deserve to be, it's wonderful.'

 

'No, you don't understand, sorry, Daniel, but you don't. Not at all.'

 

He gives up, hangs up, heads out again. Anna's in her office, but she pushes her work to the side and gets out of her chair when she sees him.

 

'John?'

 

'I tripped over a tree root,' he says, grinning. 'You wouldn't believe how great I feel.'

 

'I would,' she says, though she obviously can't. 'You should tell Daniel.'

 

'I did, John said, with a shrug. 'Didn't really get it.'

 

'No, John. I mean, you should _tell_ _Daniel_.'

 

They've talked about this before. She's seeing things that aren't there, and she's being a supportive friend, but she's blind. Daniel's not interested in that kind of thing.

 

'Sure, sure,' he brushes her off. Has to get out of there. 'Just wanted to tell you. Didn't want to ring, in case I tied up your line. I'll be off.'

 

'John,' she calls out after him, but he's off again. He's out the door before she's finished that last consonant. He feels out of control. High. He's maybe still a bit in shock from the fall. His knees hurt and his hands itch. He should go home, or in to work. Yes, work. All this energy, he'll be brilliant at work. The cab takes him straight to City Hall, and he jogs through the lobby. Fidgets through the elevator. Bangs through his office door.

 

Daniel's there. Just sitting there, looking like he's been caught in a compromising position. He's not doing anything strange, though. He's sitting in the chair John keeps for him, easier to get in and out of, gentler on Daniel's bad knee. He's reading one of his own work files, he hasn't touched John's desk.

 

'John!' He's shocked. Surprised. John's confused, but he's happy enough to find Daniel there. Maybe it will be easier in person, with gestures and his facial expression.

 

'Daniel,' John says. 'Trees!'

 

_Tell Daniel_ , Anna had said. John couldn't get it out of his head. Tell Daniel, tell him. Tell him!

 

Daniel was smiling warily, standing up. Using the arms of the chair for leverage. It took John two steps to stand next to him. John put one hand on Daniel's shoulder, and the other on his cheek. He leaned in, opened his mouth against Daniel's for a fleeting, stolen kiss. It was all going to hell, now. Right? No, wrong. Daniel wasn't backing away, or speaking at all. He was staring at John like he'd never seen him before. He was blushing.

 

Damn Anna for being right. John would treat her to dinner at the nicest restaurant he could find.

 

Daniel put his hands to his lips, his cheeks grew even redder.

 

'Daniel!' John whispered. 'Trees. _Trees_ , Daniel. They're ten years older. We're growing old. We're _alive_ and we're _growing old_.'

 

Daniel doesn't say anything. He lets out this one, brilliant sob. Like his heart is breaking only now, when everything's safe and wonderful and full of starlight and warmth and overgrowing plants. He leans into John, rests his forehead against John's, and they stand there breathing together.

 

'Yes,' Daniel whispers. He understands, everything John couldn't really fit into those words. He holds onto John's arms, and quietly, like a dam has been broken, they're laughing and crying and falling all over each other. They're older, they've grown wrinkled in the daylight and all of the seedlings have grown into trees.


End file.
